Entries in Mary Tyler Moore
(2)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Television icon Mary Tyler Moore was to undergo surgery Thursday to remove a tumor from the protective lining around her brain.

"At the recommendation of her neurologist, who has been monitoring this for years, and a neurosurgeon, Mary decided to proceed with this fairly routine procedure," said a representative.

The elective procedure is to remove a meningioma, a benign tumor growing on the meninges, the protective layer of tissue between the brain and skull.

"Mary went in for an elective surgery that her doctor recommended while she's healthy," said spokeswoman Alla Plotkin.

Meningiomas are slow-growing tumors that are often benign and which doctors typically leave alone, said Dr. Alan Cohen, chief of surgery at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Surgery is necessary, however, "for two reasons," he said, "first, to find out exactly what it is pathologically, and, second, to relieve pressure."

Dr. Cohen has never treated or examined Moore and cautioned that an early diagnosis can change after a tumor has been surgically removed and examined.

A large meningioma tumor could eventually become cancerous, but even if it remains benign, it can create pressure on the brain, resulting in vision or hearing loss, headaches, seizures or other problems.

Meningioma tumors are most frequently found in older women, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Photo Courtesy - Kevin Winter/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- TV Land announced Tuesday that Emmy Award-winning actress and Oscar nominee Mary Tyler Moore will guest star on the second season premiere of TV Land’s hit sitcom Hot in Cleveland on Wednesday, January 19th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The episode will be taped at CBS Radford, the same studio where The Mary Tyler Moore Show was taped over three decades ago.

Moore’s guest appearance will be the first time in 33 years that she and Hot in Cleveland star Betty White have acted on screen together since the groundbreaking hit The Mary Tyler Moore Show went off the air. Moore’s role in the sitcom will involve White’s character Elka, who was arrested in last season's finale.